BREAKING NEWS: The High Court has "invited" the Government to delay ratification of Lisbon until Stuart Wheeler’s case is heard. Gordon Brown, speaking in Brussels, has agreed to the delay. If he hadn’t accepted the "invitation" there was a likelihood that Mr Wheeler’s case would have been heard over the weekend in emergency session – rather than next week, as planned.
Speaking to Radio 4’s World at One Mr Wheeler said that he was open to appealing the High Court should it rule against his claim that Labour is bound to honour its manifesto commitment to hold a referendum on the EU Treaty/ Constitution.
3.15pm: Statement from Mark Francois MP, Shadow Europe Minister:
“It is absolutely typical that Gordon Brown thought he could just barge ahead and ram this Treaty through while ignoring the High Court. He has been brought up short. Of course, given that he’s broken his election promise to the British people, Gordon Brown has no moral or democratic right to sign Britain up to the renamed EU Constitution at all. It would be the height of arrogance and incredibly undemocratic if the Irish people were made to vote twice when the British people haven’t even been allowed to vote once.”